Safety signs wanted after Wantagh Parkway crash

Calls are being made for more highway safety signs following a fatal crash this week on the Wantagh State Parkway in Levittown.

The chain-reaction pileup killed two people and injured several others, including a 3-year-old. Police said it started as a minor fender bender that blocked the fast lane. Those struck exited their vehicles to exchange information.

Forty-one states have signs that often advise drivers to pull over and call 911 if a minor accident like a fender bender occurs. Some lawmakers in Albany are now talking about posting similar safety signs on New York highways.

"It would be wise for the transportation committee to take up a study to continue to get input from the public to see if the signs would be helpful," says state Sen. Michael Venditto (R-Massapequa).

The state Department of Transportation says it has a "Steer It, Clear It" safety campaign on its website but has not decided whether to make signs for highways.

Tuesday's crash in Levittown is not the first time minor crashes turned into catastrophes in the past month or so. According to police, two people died May 23 when they were rear-ended while stopped in the HOV lane of the Long Island Expressway, and two teens died in a similar crash on the LIE just weeks before that.